The garden will be planted outside the borough’s new public works garage under construction off South Street near South Washington Street, said Rachel Winograd, food justice coordinator for the farmworkers organization known by its Spanish acronym CATA.

Winograd told council that low-income people could grow their own food in the garden to help them save money while providing a source of good nutrition.

The garden would be available to everyone in the community, even though former borough Councilman John Thomas complained when he thought the garden was just for migrant workers. And Thomas singled out Councilman Leon Spencer, saying he should know better.

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But Spencer told Thomas that the group has indicated that the garden is for everyone.

“The spirit is neighbors helping neighbors,” said Dan Maffei, council president. “If we didn’t put it to some productive use, we would simply be mowing it. That doesn’t seem to be a good use of the land.”

Added Mayor Matt Fetick, “I’m 100 percent supportive. If we can have more people benefit from it, the better.”

CATA was founded by migrant farmworkers in 1979 to improve their living conditions in southern New Jersey. Winograd said the group operates on the principle that food is a basic human right.

Chris Stejskal, an intern at Maffei Landscape Design LLC., outlined a plan for council that incorporates a community garden into the landscape near the garage.

“I think this is absolutely the right thing to do,” Spencer said.

The community garden will promote healthy lifestyles and encourage interaction among various members of the community, Winograd said, and it can teach people about organic and sustainable agriculture.